Hypersomnia is more than just feeling tired; it's a debilitating medical condition characterized by excessive daytime sleepiness—an uncontrollable need to sleep that can disrupt every aspect of life. This guide explains the critical difference between being "tired" and "sleepy," explores the primary causes, and dives into central sleep disorders like narcolepsy and idiopathic hypersomnia.

I’m going to share a 5-part insomnia intervention called stimulus control. It’s a component of CBT-I that has evidence as a standalone treatment. Insomnia is a habit that’s been formed in the brain. Habits don’t form overnight, and they aren’t changed overnight. This will not help you sleep better tonight; it will help you sleep better within 1-2 weeks.

Are you tired, or are you sleepy?

We use those terms interchangeably, but they actually mean really different things. And the difference matters because it determines what you should do.

A common question that arises in therapy is, "How and when should I stop taking my sleep aid?" As a member of the Society for Behavioral Sleep Medicine, I consulted with experienced colleagues early in my career to gather insights on this crucial topic. This post synthesizes their valuable advice.

As a CBT therapist in Austin, I encounter client after client who struggles with rumination. It cuts across all of my specialties. When I discuss this concept with people I’m working with, this is how I like to explain it.

I was interviewed as a sleep specialist in Austin on a podcast called Warrior Forward. The podcast focuses on women’s health and self-care. The host has herself dealt with insomnia for over a decade and shares a little of her experience. I give a session-by-session overview of what CBT-I with me looks like.

I offer this sleep hack: spend less time in bed. That’s right. Less.

Less?! How am I going to get sleep if I’m not in bed?

People with insomnia are usually problem solvers by nature. So, of course, they apply that problem-solving prowess to their sleep issue. The thinking is to maximize time spent in bed and cast a big, wide net to increase the probability of catching some sleep. It makes some logical sense. But it doesn’t work.

Circadian rhythms are one of several biological rhythms in humans.

The word circadian is derived from the Latin circa (about) + dies (day). This rhythm takes approximately 24 hours to complete one full cycle. Body processes related to this rhythm include (but are not limited to) your sleep-wake cycle, body temperature, and melatonin production.

As a provider of Radically Open DBT in Austin, I treat something called maladaptive overcontrol. You’ve probably never heard that term; it’s not really in the zeitgeist. But it describes a lot of people. In fact, I’ll let you in on a little secret: Most therapists (myself included) are overcontrolled. If you have an advanced degree and/or have achieved any level of career success, you are most likely overcontrolled.

Seniors are especially prone to sleep issues. Biological transitions, like the advancing of the circadian rhythm, and social transitions, like retirement, set the stage for disrupted sleep. Reach out today to talk to a sleep specialist in Austin with experience meeting the sleep needs of older adults.